MARYSVILLE, OH—Honda is producing critical components for the production of much-needed ventilators at its assembly plant here. The components are being delivered to Dynaflo Inc., a manufacturer of vacuum pumps and compressors in Reading, PA.
Honda teamed up with Dynaflo to increase the company’s production of diaphragm compressors, a key component of portable ventilators that are used in hospitals and by first responders to help those stricken with the coronavirus. The companies are aiming to produce 10,000 compressors per month once production reaches capacity. Honda and Dynaflo expect to maintain production of compressors through the end of August.
“Honda associates have successfully transformed a portion of our technical training center into an assembly line that will help support the urgent need to produce ventilator components,” says Rick Schostek, executive vice president of Honda North America Inc. “With our supply of these key components to Dynaflo, we hope to help address one of the most pressing needs within the COVID-19 crisis.”
Honda has transformed a 6,000-square-foot area of its Technical Development Center in Marysville into a space for associates to assemble the compressors. The process was developed using production know-how from Honda’s experienced manufacturing associates, including parts tracking, build timing, quality checks and lot control. These practices were essential in enabling Honda associates to quickly ramp up production over the first weeks of the project while maintaining social distancing protocols.
Dynaflo had been making the compressors at the rate of about 75 per week prior to the COVID-19 crisis. To increase its production capacity in response to the pandemic, Dynaflo required substantial help. To this end, Dynaflo and Honda partnered with Stop the Spread, a coalition of more than 1,500 volunteer CEOs working in Washington, D.C. and around the U.S. to catalyze actions and support the government in response to COVID-19. Stop the Spread connected Dynaflo with Honda, and the two companies teamed up to meet this critical need for more portable ventilators.
“Being connected to Honda of America has been a godsend,” says William Fleming, president of Dynaflo. “Combining our diaphragm compressor technology with Honda’s expertise in mass production is a perfect combination to help meet the needs of this crisis.”
To ensure consistency and quality, Honda associates have worked closely with Dynaflo personnel to learn best practices in compressor assembly. The training has provided Honda associates the ability to build and quality test the devices prior to shipping.
